How Censoring Nudity is Creating a More Dangerous Internet
If you’re a member of our community, you may be already be aware of the situation we recently faced with our payment processor. We won’t name names, but it’s one of the biggest online payment processors in the world and chances are you’ve used it when making a purchase online. To sum it up, we were given warning on extremely short notice that our content no longer complied with their new terms of service (because we feature nudity), and that they would shut down our account within 3 days. This would leave us unable to sign up any new members or renew existing members’ subscriptions – essentially shuttering our business if we weren’t able to rapidly find other solutions.
“Hiding and stigmatizing the human body not only breeds trauma and shame, but also guarantees that it is inherently considered a sexual object.”
Although we consider our content to be non-sexual, artistic, educational, and health-focused, we were lumped in with pornography and booted off this payment processor, forcing us to scramble for other options in order to keep our site open. We are thankfully back up and running thanks to a more open-minded alternative, and while the experience was disappointing we certainly weren’t surprised.
Censorship & Social Media
Similar trends on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram have made it nearly impossible for certain creators and businesses to market themselves through traditional channels online. Our Instagram, Twitter, and even MailChimp accounts have all been banned at one point or another due to our content, making it difficult to connect with people who would otherwise be interested in our offerings. Algorithms online cast a wide and ambiguous net, often targeting images containing art, childbirth, breastfeeding, and have even been accused of racism and fatphobia. Instead of creating a safer and more equitable internet, these puritanical restrictions are actually setting a dangerous precedent.
Unexpected Consequences
Stigma surrounding the human body can lead to harmful consequences, such as:
Negative body image and body dysmorphia
Eating disorders and mental health problems
Gender-based violence and oppression
Revenge porn
Sexual trauma and shame
Cultural Ramifications
Limiting or outright banning certain images means that as a society we will never learn to recognize nuance and context. Hiding and stigmatizing the human body not only breeds trauma and shame, but also guarantees that it is inherently considered a sexual object. When reporting sexual assault, femme-presenting people are often asked they were wearing at the time of the attack. This offensive question exemplifies our collective view of the body as erotic by simply existing, an invitation for unwanted attention or advances if visible. While it’s important to take steps in order to prevent certain content from circulating online (such as child pornography, hate speech, bullying, or content that incites violence), censoring nudity as a whole is a misguided and oversimplified approach that creates a vacuum for violence and disinformation that is often only filled by porn sites.
“When we allow nonsexual nudity to have a place on the internet, we create a safe space to have meaningful conversations about the human body, gender, sex, and consent. ”
In terms of our own platform, we have always championed Naked Yoga as a safe way to explore a healthier relationship with your body, with the added benefit improved physical fitness thrown in.
Practitioners of Naked Yoga report many amazing benefits, such as:
Improved self-esteem
Increased body positivity
Greater freedom of movement and expression within yoga poses
Decreased stress and anxiety
Decreased shame
It troubles us that we may have been forced to stop sharing these benefits with people around the world because of a few dated and small-minded censorship practices. We greatly appreciate the outpouring of support that we received from our members offering words of encouragement and even their expertise in dealing with payment processors.
The internet is a fast-moving and constantly evolving place, but this will not stop us from continuing to create empowering programs and promoting self-love in the face of these challenges. To support us, join our membership community and gain access to our full library of naked yoga flows, meditations, and more. See you on the mat!
